When outdoor temperatures get too hot or too cold many property
owners resign themselves to higher energy bills. But good property managers
understand that a penny saved goes straight to the bottom-line, therefore is truly
a penny earned.
My name is Dean Gilford, I am a heating and air conditioning
contractor, and my customers pay some of the lowest utility bills in Southern
California. That’s because I refuse to let their heating and air conditioning
costs get out of hand when savings are so simple. I’m going to give you the
exact same savings secrets that I give to my customers.
You know and I know that when we talk about energy costs we
are talking about more than pennies. Hundreds, even thousands of dollars can be
saved with a few simple fixes.
TOP
TIP: Change Your
Filter
A dirty filter in your HVAC
(heating/ventilating/and air-conditioning) system makes your furnace work
harder, and leads to big scary numbers on your heating bill. Aim to swap your
filter out once a month.
Yearly Tune-Ups
Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage,
a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and
comfort. Properly
calibrated and lubricated equipment will save you money consistently on your
energy bills and extend the life of your system.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
This is one of the most cost effective
upgrades you can make to your HVAC system. I know you intend to turn your heat
down when you are sleeping or not home. But you forget, right? Why not have your
thermostat do it for you? Programmable thermostats turn off the HVAC systems at predetermined
times when they are not needed. This way, the home is only conditioned when it
needs to be and the energy consumption of the home is reduced. Programmable thermostats can reduce the amount spent on
heating and cooling by 5 percent to 12 percent.
Insulate
You can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs by
properly insulating your home. There are different types of loose-fill
insulation, which are blown or poured into place using special equipment. Cellulose, fiberglass, foam or even recycled
denim can be used for insulating enclosed walls, new wall cavities, unfinished
attic floors and other hard-to-reach areas.
Block that Leak!
The small gaps surrounding windows,
doors and other areas in the average home, taken together, are like a
9-square-foot hole in the wall. Plugging them can save you up to 10% on your heating
bill.
·
First,
find the leaks: On a windy day, hold a lit incense stick to the most common
drafty areas: chimney flashing, recessed lighting, sill plates, window and door
frames, all ducts and flues and electrical outlets.
·
Buy
door sweeps to close spaces under exterior doors, and caulk or tacky rope caulk
to block those drafty spots around window frames. Apply weather-stripping to
movable joints. Recessed lighting caps and outlet gaskets can be installed where
cold air often enters.
Properly Seal Ducts
Nothing depresses me like improperly
installed duct. I’ve seen homes lose up to 60% of their warmed air before it
reaches the vents because of poorly connected ducts, or ducting that is not
well insulated.
Seal and insulate ducts to improve
the efficiency of your heating and cooling system.
Focus first on sealing
ducts that run through the attic, crawlspace, unheated basement, or garage. Use
duct sealant (mastic) or metal-backed (foil) tape to seal the seams and
connections of ducts. After sealing the ducts in those spaces, wrap them in insulation
to keep them from getting hot in the summer or cold in the winter. Next, look
to seal any other ducts that you can access in the heated or cooled part of the
house.
Know When To Replace
Furnaces need the most costly and
frequent repairs in the last two years of their life. If you can circumvent
those repairs and move seamlessly into a new energy efficient furnace, your new furnace can pay for itself. Maria Vargas is a spokeswoman for Energy Star, a
federal-government-backed program that promotes energy efficiency and lends its
name to energy-saving products. "If your furnace is over 20 years old,
you're probably paying more to use it that it would cost to replace," says
Maria Vargas, “Furnaces bearing the Energy Star label are about 15% more
efficient than a standard conventional model”
Energy Star Rebates, Tax Credits and Utility Incentives
There are great tax incentives,
rebates and utility discounts available for the different types of Energy Star HVAC equipment. Your contractor should be able to explain what is available for
the equipment you decide to purchase and help you with the paperwork.
Since 1989, Dean Gilford and
his company Kilowatt have provided A+ Rated guaranteed heating, air
conditioning and electrical services for Los Angeles and the San Fernando
Valley. www.KilowattHVAC.com
